61°Kansas City, KS

Clear

59°Kansas City

Partly Cloudy

61°Overland Park

Clear

57°Osawatomie

Clear

57°Smithville

Mostly Cloudy

More Liberty Tribune »

Schools

Sections

School News

Survey: Better relations needed

A Liberty Public Schools survey found three factors had a significant role in the failure of the district’s November 2011 tax increase proposal to build new facilities. ... Read more

Share |

Policy guides social networking between students, staff

Liberty Public Schools staff members who have Facebook and Twitter accounts specifically for school use, such as communicating with students about a class, are now being watched. ... Read more

Share |

Students receive LIFE lessons

Nancy Hull Rigdon/Liberty Tribune

Liberty sixth-graders can tell you all about the ways marijuana, alcohol, cigarettes and methamphetamine affect brains, bodies and lives. ... Read more

Share |

District focuses on garnering support

Following a firm “no” from voters, Liberty Public Schools doesn’t plan to rush back to the ballot box. ... Read more

Share |

Mattie Ransom leaves school board race

Liberty Board of Education member Mattie Ransom has decided to drop out of the school board race. ... Read more

Share |

6 run for 2 school board seats

Candidate filing ended Jan. 17. ... Read more

Share |

Children in need year-round

Nancy Hull Rigdon/Liberty Tribune photos

The holiday season, typically the most generous time of year, has ended. But for local children, the need continues. ... Read more

Share |

School tax not likely to return to ballot soon

Share |

Friday the 13th is smelly at Ridgeview

The smell of sewer gas caused school district officials to temporarily evacuate Ridgeview Elementary School the morning of Friday, Jan. 13. ... Read more

Share |

St. James student a winner with book cover

Contributed photo

St. James School fourth-grader Parker Murphy designed a cover for his favorite book, “Ginger Pye.” His cover, a color drawing for the book about a dog named Ginger, ended up a winner. ... Read more

Share |

Blue Jay Tower talks continue

The Liberty Board of Education wasn’t satisfied with Northwest Missouri State University’s response to the school district’s lease proposal for Blue Jay Tower. As a result, negotiations between the district and college will continue. ... Read more

Share |

Trio of European visitors

Jennifer Clark/Special to Liberty Tribune

Liberty High School has three foreign exchange students on its campus for the 2011-2012 school year: Lorenzo D’Ippolito from Italy, Stanistas Girard from France and Johan Lanzrein from Switzerland. ... Read more

Share |

4 file for school board

Share |

9th grade to move to high schools

Liberty Public Schools is moving forward with a plan to have ninth-graders in the high schools starting in fall 2013. ... Read more

Share |

School, city boards talk, argue

A meeting between the Liberty Board of Education and Liberty City Council had collaborative moments yet concluded with an argument. ... Read more

Share |

Audit: School district in sound condition

Liberty Public Schools’ outside auditor delivered a clean bill of financial health for the district last week. ... Read more

Share |

Eagles from abroad

Contributed photo

Liberty North High School is hosting three foreign exchange students this school year, Natalia Johanasen from Denmark, Dominik Lange from Germany, and Filipa Valentim from Portugal. ... Read more

Share |

From 64 districts to 6

According to files at the Clay County Archives, school districts in Clay County have been evolving and changing since the 1800s. ... Read more

Share |

School Notes, Nov. 23, 2011

Share |

School district weighs next move

Conflict breeds uncertainty. And with a deeply divided community and school board, the next move following the Nov. 8 defeat of the Liberty Public Schools property tax increase to fund $41 million in construction is anything but clear. ... Read more

Share |

School levy rejected

Liberty Public Schools patrons rejected a proposed 43-cent tax levy increase by 280 votes. ... Read more

Share |

School tax proposal divides district voters

In one corner stands the group that favors Liberty Public Schools’ 43-cents-per-$100-of-assessed-valuation tax rate increase to construct new facilities. ... Read more

Share |

Northwest addresses Blue Jay Tower criticism

Ray Weikal/Liberty Tribune

Before Northwest Missouri State University’s dean of the college of arts and sciences made it to the Liberty Board of Education podium, a district patron stopped him in the hall. ... Read more

Share |

Campaign complaint prompts review

In light of a complaint, the Liberty School District is rewriting its policy on staff and student involvement in election campaigns. ... Read more

Share |

School proposal triggers tax look

Fact: Liberty Public Schools will have the second-highest school district tax rate in Missouri if voters say “yes” Nov. 8. ... Read more

Share |

St. James students up for Science City exhibit

Nancy Hull Rigdon/Liberty Tribune

Students at St. James School repeatedly used the words “cool” and “awesome” when describing their latest science class project. ... Read more

Share |

District releases email addresses

With less than one month before the Nov. 8 election, a Liberty Public Schools patron requested the 8,000 email addresses of those who subscribe to the school district’s electronic news service. ... Read more

Share |

Kansas City accreditation loss opens transfer door

Liberty Public Schools phones are not ringing off the hook with calls from families in the Kansas City Missouri School District. ... Read more

Share |

Development incentives factor into school tax

The Liberty school district’s 43-cent property tax rate increase on the Nov. 8 ballot begs the question: How does tax-increment financing, commonly referred to as TIF, affect the district’s tax rate? ... Read more

Share |

GROWTH — A blessing and A curse

Mark Johnson/special to Liberty Tribune

Sure, projections said development of the Kansas City side of the Liberty school district would bring strong residential growth. The surprising part for many was how explosive that growth turned out to be. ... Read more

Share |

School district starts community talks

Liberty Public Schools has started a monthly community meeting series titled Coffees with the Community. ... Read more

Share |

Levy-increase alternatives

Mark Johnson/special to Liberty Tribune

The results of a successful Liberty Public Schools property tax rate increase are known. A new elementary school west of Interstate 35, additions at Liberty High School, the completion of Liberty North High School and a new district stadium would arrive. ... Read more

Share |

A tradition continues

Nancy Hull Rigdon/Liberty Tribune

Many afternoons after school, dozens of high-energy students scatter throughout Liberty High School. With excitement and passion, they practice speech pieces and study for debate. ... Read more

Share |

Homecoming brings new traditions

Out with the homecoming parades. In with a community carnival, spirit night, fence decorating and pomping. ... Read more

Share |

Mayor Greg Canuteson’s Sept. 6 letter to Superintendent Mike Brewer

Dear Mr. Brewer: Please provide the following: 1. All reports, memoranda, data, calculations, and other written material that assessed the impact on economic development (specifically related to the city of Liberty) reviewed by the school board before placing the proposed tax increase on the ballot. ... Read more

Share |

Elected officials respond to Mayor Canuteson’s Sept. 6 schools letter

Editor’s Note: The Sept. 15 Liberty Tribune included a letter from Liberty Mayor Greg Canuteson to Liberty Public Schools Superintendent Mike Brewer as well as Brewer’s subsequent letter to Canuteson and a joint letter from Liberty Board of Education Members Bren Abbott and D. Scott Connor to Canuteson. The Tribune then gave each Liberty Board of Education member and Liberty City Council member an opportunity to respond to the communication. The responses appear broken down by school board and city council and then in the order they were received. To read the original three letters, see either a copy of the Sept. 15 Tribune or www.libertytribune.com. ... Read more

Share |

Superintendent Mike Brewer’s Sept. 8 letter to Greg Canuteson

Dear Mayor Canuteson: I received your letter, hand delivered by Curt Wenson, on Tuesday, Sept. 6, 2011. As the leaders of two organizations that serve much of the same public, it is imperative that we work diligently in keeping the lines of communication open between the city and the school district. ... Read more

Share |

Bren Abbott and D. Scott Connor’s Sept. 8 letter to Mayor Greg Canuteson

Dear Mr. Canuteson: This letter is in response to your letter to Liberty public schools superintendent Mike Brewer dated September 6, 2011. ... Read more

Share |

Mayor blasts school plan

Liberty Mayor Greg Canuteson sent a harsh letter to Liberty Public Schools Superintendent Mike Brewer, expressing strong opposition to the district’s proposed tax rate increase on the November ballot. ... Read more

Share |

43-cent school tax goes to voters

A tax increase proposal to build new Liberty Public Schools facilities is now in voters’ hands. ... Read more

Share |

School tax ballot bound

Liberty Public Schools voters will decide a 43-cent tax rate increase in November. ... Read more

Share |

Academic homecoming

Amy Neal/Liberty Tribune

“Back to school” took on added meaning for 18 of Liberty’s instructors on the first day of class Aug. 17. ... Read more

Share |

Local math scores add up to success

The latest numbers show Liberty students are some of the best in the state at math. ... Read more

Share |

Missouri academic standards among top

A national report released Aug. 10 by the National Center for Education Statistics showed that Missouri’s academic performance standards in reading and mathematics continue to be among the most rigorous in the nation. ... Read more

Share |

School district still growing

Peter Yankowsky/Special to Liberty Tribune

When students arrive at Warren Hills Elementary School for the first day of classes Wednesday, Aug. 17, they will notice something different: two new modular units on the playground to handle overcrowding. ... Read more

Share |

Missouri teachers criticize social media crackdown

Share |

Student MAP scores continue slow climb

Metro Creative

Preliminary results released Thursday, Aug. 4, by the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education show the percentages of students throughout the state in third through 12th grade testing “Proficient” or “Advanced” on MAP tests rose in all grade levels and all subjects except for one — eighth-grade mathematics stayed relatively flat after making solid gains the past two years. ... Read more

Share |

Getting ready for the start of school

Peter Yankowsky/Special to the Liberty Tribune

The following dates are subject to change. Parents should contact their children’s schools directly for scheduling changes, additional information and dates for parent information nights at elementary schools. ... Read more

Share |

School Notes, Aug. 1, 2011

Share |

College move may force high school stadium

Liberty’s high school students may get a new place to play. ... Read more

Share |

Census: Public schools spend $10,499 per pupil

Public school systems spent an average of $10,499 per pupil in fiscal year 2009, a 2.3 percent increase over 2008, according to data released by the U.S. Census Bureau. ... Read more

Share |

District’s Blue Jay Tower talks ongoing

Ray Weikal/Liberty Tribune

As Liberty Public Schools continues to look for more classroom space, the fate of one of its buildings remains up in the air. ... Read more

Share |

Doodle draws Google’s eye

Matt Frye/Liberty Tribune

Alexis Zaborac’s blueprint for the future is already paying off. ... Read more

Share |

Under God and united by robots

Robots are a family affair for Lori and Craig Fritts. ... Read more

Share |

A pair of aces

Matt Frye/Liberty Tribune

Bradley Dice and Mack Yi are one in a thousand. ... Read more

Share |

Language arts instructor is top of the class

Ray Weikal/Liberty Tribune

Melissa Taylor knows how to get a read on her students. ... Read more

Share |

A gold star for Franklin

Ray Weikal/Liberty Tribune

Success was sweet at Franklin Elementary School. ... Read more

Share |

School district revising Blue Jay Tower deal

After months of complaints from a small group of residents, Liberty Public Schools officials are preparing to revisit an old agreement with a state university over the district’s Blue Jay Tower and reach an agreement that benefits both institutions. ... Read more

Share |

Outside the ‘girl-box’